UCL News

Services

Get updates from UCL News

National Student Survey: improvement in student satisfaction

12 August 2014

Student satisfaction at UCL has risen by 2%, according to the latest
National Student Survey (NSS) results.

The survey shows that 86% of undergraduates are now satisfied with their
overall experience at UCL, which places the university 68th in the UK – 32
places higher than in 2013. Additionally, UCL has risen from 22 to 14 in the
list of the 24 universities that make up the Russell Group.

UCL also reached its highest
ever response rate, with 74%
of final-year undergraduates completing the survey, and achieved improvements in
the areas of assessment and feedback, academic support and organisation and management.

Meanwhile, the percentage of UCL students who agreed
or strongly agreed that their course was intellectually stimulating has risen
from 88% to 89% – 3% above the sector average.

UCL saw a decline in its score for learning resources and
remained the same for teaching and personal development. The lowest scoring
area was assessment and feedback, though the sector and UCL have both improved
on 2013. The sector average has improved in all areas, except personal development,
which has remained the same as last year.

Professor Anthony Smith, UCL Vice-Provost (Education
& Student Affairs), said: “The overall increase in student satisfaction in
this year’s NSS results is very welcome news and something that the UCL
community should take pride in. We want all aspects of the student experience
at UCL to be truly outstanding, and an improvement in levels of satisfaction as
measured by the NSS is a key objective in the UCL 2034 strategy. We want to
build on this improvement further – and there is more work to do in certain
areas – but overall this is good progress.”

The overall increase in student satisfaction in this year’s NSS results is very welcome news and something that the UCL community should take pride in

A further eight departments have increased their level
of overall satisfaction by 10% or more, and nine departments will qualify for a
Provost’s commendation, having achieved more than 80% participation and greater
than 90% overall satisfaction.

Judith
Hillmore, Head of Student Experience
and Global Citizenship at
UCL, commented: “The excellent improvement in the response rate is due to the
hard work of dedicated staff and students, who promoted the survey within their
departments. Particular thanks must go to the network of departmental NSS
Liaison Officers, who encouraged their students to take part, and to Heads of
Department and to the students themselves, who engaged their colleagues in the
process.”

These
efforts were complemented by a central publicity campaign, which was rolled out
across the campus.

An incentive
scheme was also introduced, with departments achieving a response rate of at
least 72% receiving money to be spent on participating students.

A total of £12,450
was distributed across 32 departments to be spent on initiatives selected by
students. These included end-of-year celebrations and branded hoodies for the
graduating cohort.

UCL student
comments will be released on 15 August and digests will be circulated to all
departments in the week commencing 18 August.